Antifriction bearing and method of forming the same



Dec. 27, 1927.

c. CLAUS ANTIFRICTION BEARING METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME Filed Aug. so. 1924 z sheets-sheet 1 c GRA PH/TE mi w n@ ATTORNEY C. CLAUS ANTIFRICTION BEARING AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME Filed Auer. 50, 1924 Z'Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Dee. A27, 1927.

UNITI-:D s'ra'ri-:sh PATENT OFFICE.

CAEL CLAUS,` or-rnAINrIELn, NEW JERSEY, AssieNor. To BOUND BROOK OIL-LESS BEARING COMPANY, OE BoUNnBnoox, NEW'JEnsEY, A CORPORATION OE NEW JERSEY. y v

ANTFRICTION BEARING AND METHOD F IE'OBhIITNG THE SAME.

Application filed August so, 1924. serial No. 735,119.

This invention relates generally to antifriction bearings and more particularly to an improved method or process for forming a bearing surface contaming graphite and to the product obtained in the practice of the method. A general object of the invention is to provide a bearing structure of the self-lubricating type Whichcan be produced at an economical manufacturing cost and which will function with a high degree of lubricatmetal binder or :matrix `is believed to be best achieved by spraying particles of metal in a molten Or .plastic rcondition directly against the surface of the bearing member. The graphite particles may be applied to the 3o bearing surface in advance of the application of the metal spray or may be delivered in the form of across-current into the `spray to be thereby sprayed against the surface with the softened metal.l Another method e5 of application is'to rovide a preliminary mixturei'of powdered) ing nozzle, heat being applied to soften the metal either by direct ap lication nto the burner 'o r inthe tormof a low-torch flame issuing from thenozzle and producing the spray.`

other ,feetereeef they invention will be'- hereinafter referred to. v

In the drawin Figure v1- i's av ratus for carrying out one embodiment of the` invention. f. y l

`Figure 2 is adiagram'matic view showing a detailof a modified form of the invention.

Figure e3 isa view similar to Figure 2v showing still anotherf embodiment .of the invention@A f metal and graphite and to pass the mixture through a spray-- dgigrammatic viewy of appa-v graphite particles'.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 of another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic View of still another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6 is a perspective viewof a partly -formed bushing having a lubricating surface formed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a completed bushing formed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 8 is a vview inperspective showing the application of a lubricatin surface to a hollow bushing of a cast or ot er seamless tube type.

Figure 9 completed bearing treated in the manner `shown in Figure 8.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of the invention, in Figure 1 a sheet of metal 10 is in process of being supplied with a lubricating coating or surface containing graphite. Graphite, in flake or powdered form, is contained in a hopper or receptacle 11 and is discharged from a slit in the converging lower end of the hopper to fall in the form of a curtain or sheet adjacent to a surface `of the metal sheet 10.

'At`12 is shown a receptacle for molten is a view in perspective of av metal 13 which is maintalned in a suitable conditionof iuidity by means of the burner 14. The molten metal inthe container may be kept underpressure through air pressure supplied to the receptacle 12 through the conduit 15. The lower end of the container 12 terminates in a nozzle'member 16 through which molten metal is ydelivered at the nozzle discharge tip 17 :A compressed-ai discharge nozzle 18 is so arranged with relation to the molten metal delivery nozzle 16 that the molten metal *emerging fromthe nozzle 17 is caught and' 4thrown in thev form of a spray 19 against j thesurface of the metal sheet 10. The sprayv of molten or plastic metal particles acts to catchandv pin the particles of l graphite against the surfacesof the metal sheet and hard'ensga metal bond` or` matrix for the The coating rthus pmrovided may' be relatively homogeneousor it ma l be of. a porous natureto provide an absorbing and holding to thereby provide,`whenthe metal cools and l e medium for liquid lubricating materials. The degree of porosity may be determined by the manner of operation, by the relative proportion of ingredients, the force of 'the spray, temperature conditions, and other factors. T 1e metal sheet l() may be heated before applying the coating thereto and may also be subjected to any desired cleaning process.

In Figure 2 of the drawingis shown a method of applying the coating to the met al Sheet l0 in which a delivery nozzle 20 for graphite particles is arranged to discharge into the air stream issuing from the nozzle 18 substantially at the same point at whichv the vmolten metal is fed to the air stream.v

This arrangement provides a spray of conimingled graphite and metal particles which are in a molten or plastic condition.

- In Figure 3 of the drawing is illustrated a method in which two distinct sprays of met-al 19 and of graphite 21 are discharged against the surface of the metal sheet 10.

In Figure 4 ot'l the drawings is illustrated an arran ement wherein cmixed powdered metal am? graphite are fed from a hopper 22 through a conduit 23 into a centrally disposed discharge nozzle 24 in the nozzle 25. A compressed air supply pipe 26 delivers an air blast stream to the nozzle 25 to produce a spray of themixed materials Vfed from the hopper 22. Suitable burners 27 may be used 1n applying heatA to the nozzle 25 to soften the met-al particles passing therethrough' to produce a necessary degree of plasticity therein to obtain the desired bonding action of the metal on the graphite particles.

Instead of applying heat to the nozzle, as isshown in Figure 4, I may makel use of a blowtoreh e'ect, using an Oxy-hydrogen or oxyacetylene flame to produce the desired heating and softening of the metal particles in the mixture. With this method of heating, the flame may be given a reducing character by suitably proportioning the constituent gases in order -to prevent combustion of the graphite. i

Instead of mixing the metal powders as in Figure 4, the powders may be fed to the discharge nozzle 25 from separate recepta cles to undergo the mixing process as they einer e from the spray nozzle.

In ign-re 5 of the drawing there is'shown another method of producing the coating which consists in depositing particles of graphite on a horizontally moving metal sheet 10 from a sieve 28 or the'like and in vdischarging a spray of molten metal 19 from the nozzle 17 t0 g pin the graphite particles in place. The sheet -10 may be caused to travel with relation to the depositing devices by means ofthe rollers 29. It will be clear that 'the sheet being coated may be caused to move relatively to the coating and is well adapted for use with cast orsolid and heavy bearing structures. Coatings of this type are also articularly useful in circumstances where rc atively thin sheetmetal bushings are used. In producing bearings of this type metal in iat sheet formmay be coated 1n the manner described and then subjected to slitting and forming operations one step of which is illustrated in the partly formed bearing in Figure 6.' The member may be completely closed to produce the tubular construction shown in Figure 7 in which the coated surface 30 is presented inwardly for bearing engagement with a shaft journaled therein. The abutting edges of the bushings may be dovetailed into each other bya suitable swaging operation which serves' also to suiooth the surfaces of the bushing, the smoothing operation being carried further, if desired, in a sizing operation that completes the chain of operations and produces a linished structure.V

' The powdered metals referred to ma be in oxidized form, in Which case a blow ame of a reducing character may be used in heating the particles to reducethe oxidized .metals to metallic form and at the same time prevent combustion' of the graphite in obtaining the requisite degree of softness or plasticity of `the metal. It will be clear that the metal may also be heated to a degree to produce a molten condition thereof.

In addition to the sheet-metal vtype of bearing which has been described, in Figure 8 is shown a method of application of the bearing member of suiiicient thickness to serve as a bearing in itself and in removing the `bearing member thus formed from' the support used in the building-up operation.

While the spray metal has'beenreferred to as principally serving as a bindin or matrix metal it may also have in itse f frictionreducing pro erties such as arev a'orded by copper, tin.7 or mixtures or alloys of these or'other bearing metals. The foundation or base member may be iron or steel, or bronze, copper, or any other metal having the nry qualiead, iron, aluminum, babbitt,I

ties ol" physical strength and resistance to mechanical strain.

1.' That methodof producing bearing material which consists in providing a suitable base and then forming on the surface thereof by spraying action a layer composed of a softened metal matrixcontaining a solid lubricating material.

2. That method of producing bearing niaterial which consists in providing a suitable hase land then forming on the surface thereof by spraying operation a layer made ol a heat-softened metal matrix containing a. solid lubricating material.

3. That method of producing a lubricating surface which consists in discharging graphite particles on a supporting surface and spraying plastic metal against said graphite carrying surface producing thereby an antifriction coating of graphite particles and metal.' i

4. That method of producing a lubricating surface which consists in spraying softened metal against a surface to produce a coating thereon, and in causing particles of solid lubricant to be impinged against the coated surface with suicient force to embed the material in the coating layer so that said particles of solid lubricant and the metal are together forced against said surface thereby producing thereon a lubricating coating.

5. -That method of producing a lubricating surface which consists in spraying plastic metal against' a supporting surface, and in discharging graphite particles into the path of. the spraying metal so that said graphite 'particles andplastic. ,metal are together appliedto said supporting surface as a coating thereon.

6. That method of producing bearing ma-l terial which consists in providing a suitable ing-surface thereof by spraying action a layer composed of heat-softened bearinginetal matrix and graphite particles.

8. That method of producing an antifriction bearing which consists in providing a suitable base consisting of a section of sheetmetal and then forming on the surface thereof by spraying action a layer made of a molten metal matrix containing particles of graphite, and then forming bearing bushings of the coated sheet thus produced.

'9. That method of producing an antifriction bearing which consists in providing as a base a sheet ofmetal and then forming on one surface of said sheet by spraying action a layer made of molten metal containing` particles of graphite, then cutting the coated lsheet into sections, and then in forming-the sections into bearing 'bushings' with the coated surface inside.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

CARL CLAUS. 

